Alstom to supply 20 Coradia Continental regional trains to ZGB in Germany

Alstom has received an order from Zweckverband Großraum Braunschweig GmbH (ZGB), through its subsidiary Regionalbahnfahrzeuge Großraum Braunschweig GmbH (RGB), for 20 Coradia Continental regional trains. This contract, which includes an option for 13 additional trains, is worth over €100 million. The contract was signed in the presence of German Federal Minister of Transport Dr. Peter Ramsauer and Prime Minister of Lower Saxony, David McAllister. Alstom has also been awarded a 20-year maintenance contract for the 20 trains.

The new Coradia Continental regional trains are due to enter service in December 2015. They will be manufactured in Alstom’s plant in Salzgitter (Germany), where a total of 189 trains of this type have already been ordered. The fleet will be maintained by the Alstom Train Life Service competence center specialized in maintenance and modernization operations of commuter and tram-trains in Braunschweig.

“Today is a very special day for Salzgitter and the metropolitan area of Braunschweig”, says David McAllister, Prime Minister of Lower Saxony. “Zweckverband Großraum Braunschweig orders 20 new trains for Elektronetz Niedersachsen Ost-network from Alstom Transport. The federal state government of Lower Saxony has supported the purchase of these vehicles with 100 million Euros from regionalization funding. The award of the contract strengthens the industrial site Salzgitter and contributes to a good workload.”

In placing this order, ZGB is seeking to obtain a modern, comfortable and reliable regional trains to circulate in the Elektronetz Niedersachsen Ost network (ENNO), from Hannover to Wolfsburg and from Wolfsburg to Hildesheim via Braunschweig.

The Coradia Continental is a four-car EMU (Electric Multiple Unit) train with a capacity of 450 passengers. The train can run at maximum speed of 160 km/h with a high acceleration rate. It will be equiped with the LZB system, a signalling and train control system used on high speed trains to circulate on the ENNO network. Environmentally friendly, the train will be equiped with electrodynamic braking which can recover up to 30% of electricity for the grid.

To increase passenger safety, monitoring cameras and crash protection elements will be installed on the train. Alstom will implement a series of measures according to the European Standard for Collision Safety of Rail Vehicles (EN 15227)(1).

Coradia Continental can operate in double traction, increasing passenger capacity to 900 persons. Particular attention has been given to providing acoustic signals, handrails, signs and lighting for reduced mobility and visually impaired persons. In addition, the train features areas for wheelchairs, bicycles and strollers. To facilitate and smooth out passenger flow, the train will be equiped with movable steps to bridge the gap between the platform and the train.

The 20-year maintenance contract for the 20 Coradia Continental covers the full maintenance of the trains and includes state-of-the-art Information Technology support. Electronic handheld devices for drivers, automated health and fault reporting, IT-based hand-over processes and a central information platform will provide precise information to all parties involved and deliver the highest operational availability.

Hennig Brandes, Director of the Zweckverband Großraum Braunschweig GmbH Association and Managing Director of Regionalbahnfahrzeuge Großraum Braunschweig GmbH, noted: ”The new trains will offer passengers modern and attractive mass transit with maximum comfort and will make a decisive contribution to the further development of mass transit in the region. The train service by Alstom as manufacturer of the trains will guarantee the best possible and most economical use of all resources. This is a trendsetting model for the future“.

Martin Lange, Member of the Board of Alstom Deutschland AG and Managing Director of Alstom Transport Germany said: ” It is the biggest order which combines the supply of new trains with a long-term maintenance service contract for Alstom in Germany. It testifies to Alstom’s expertise and leadership on the growing, dynamic service market for trains”.